The Voyage and the Messenger: Iran and Philosophy

A fantastic introduction to Henri Corbin. Corbin’s work is complex and this book does a wonderful job setting the stage for his ideas. I’ll admit, the first half of the book is a bit boring, but it gives you great insight into how and why Corbin arrives at his profound conclusions regarding the imaginal realm. The book is full of Arabic and Persian terminology, as well as many of Corbin’s own terms, however the author does a great job explaining them all and the context is such that it is not difficult to grasp these ideas. Reading this book was a highly rewarding experience and drove me to quickly buy Corbin’s other works. I learned so much. The main essay in this work, which the book is titled after, is worth the price alone. Highly recommended!

Bit by bit, I'm working to complete my collection of Henri Corbin's books on sufism. My past experience with the publisher - North Atlantic Books - is that they will not publish any book that isn't a seminal work in the field it covers. This volume is no exception.  The Voyage and the Messenger: Iran and Philosophy

Corbin was a heavy interpreter and synthesizer of Islamic/Ismaeli mysticism, and this book collects various stray essays dealing with the subject. Its good, deep reading and I highly recommend it, for both the beginner and enthusiast.

I love all things Corbin, and this book is no exception. Very informative (and slightly poetic, too!) A good read.

Amazing discovering. Recommend.

Even Henry Corbin's greatest admirers have to admit that he is not an easy read. There are two reasons for this, as I see it. One of them is his adherence to that peculiar French literary convention in non-fiction of assuming that the reader understands more than he or she actually does (the French have a name for this style, although at the moment I can't recall what it is).The other, more important reason is that it requires a considerable amount of unusual intellectual baggage to reach the point where you can begin to understand what Corbin is trying to say. In order to even consider embarking on Corbin's spiritual journey, it is extremely helpful to be familiar with Medieval Scholasticism, Islamic philosophy, Sufism, Shiite theology and Zoroastrianism. It also doesn't hurt to have a nodding acquaintance with Luther, the seventeenth century German mystics and Swedenborg. I don't know anybody who feels completely at home with all those topics; I know that I don't.Which is what makes this book so important for an understanding of Corbin. In fact, Corbin didn't put this book together; it is a compilation of various pieces of his writing. The book starts out with a lengthy intellectual biography of Corbin by Christopher Bamford, which helps considerably to set the stage. This is followed by two essays by Corbin on the development of Iranian studies and the history of Iranian philosophy. Both of these are rather long, and to me at least while I was reading them, they were rather boring. However, in retrospect I must admit that these essays probably do more to introduce Corbin's mindset than anything else that could have been selected. Following this are various, mostly short essays dealing with features of Iranian philosophy and mysticism. The whole scheme of the book it to lead the reader into an appreciation of Corbin's endeavors and an understanding of what he was trying to achieve.I first encountered Corbin about four years ago, when I attempted to read "Man of Light." I gave up after about twelve pages; the material presented was too abstruse for me. After reading this book I realize that Corbin is pure gold, and I'm ready to tackle his work in earnest.

Corbin is one of the foremost interpreters of Iranian, Sufi and Persian gnosticism in the west. This volume is a terrific introduction to his other works as it is a collection of short essays in which he discusses how he grew from being a student of Heidegger to a scholar of Persian mysticism. I would highly encourage those interested in the imaginal realm to begin their quest here and then take on his other works, especially "Spiritual Body and Celestial Earth" afterward. More people should know of Corbin's work, but unfortunately its audience is largely limited to students of Islam and Sufism. Highly recommended.

This brings into English the insights of one of the great scholars of religious studies. If you are interested in mysticism in general or Sufi in particular then you will find this book an important adjunct to your studies.